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Nationwide Post Race Report: Auto Club Speedway

Read how drivers Dakoda Armstrong, Austin Dillon and Brian Scott did in their race

Auto Club Speedway

NASCAR Nationwide Series
March 23, 2013

Race Highlights:

Richard Childress Racing teammates finished fifth (Austin Dillon), eighth (Brian Scott) and 15th (Dakoda Armstrong).
Scott is third in the Nationwide Series driver championship point standings, trailing leader Sam Hornish, Jr. by 31 markers, while Dillon ranks fifth, 38 points back.
The No. 2 Chevrolet team ranks fourth in the Nationwide Series owner championship point standings, with the No. 3 team sixth in the standings and the No. 33 team eighth.
Dillon was the third-Fastest Driver Early In a Run (169.879 mph), third-Fastest on Restarts (167.547 mph), earned the fourth-best Driver Rating (113.2),
In total, RCR teammate posted 13 of the Fastest Laps Run, with nine and four respectively.
Scott completed 53 passes while running in the top 15, tying him for third in the Quality Passes Post-Race Loop Data Category and fifth-best Speed in Traffic (167.769 mph).
Armstrong tied for fourth in the Closers category after gaining one position during the final 15 (10 percent) laps.
Kyle Busch earned his third victory of the 2013 Nationwide Series season and was followed to the finish line by Hornish, Regan Smith, Parker Klingerman and Dillon.
The next Nationwide Series race is the O'Reilly Auto Parts 300 at Texas Motor Speedway on Saturday, April 12. The sixth race of the 2013 season is scheduled to be televised live on ESPN beginning at 8:30 p.m. Eastern Time and broadcast live on the Performance Racing Network and Sirius XM NASCAR Satellite Radio.

Brian Scott Earns His Seventh Consecutive Top-10 Finish

Brian Scott drove to his seventh consecutive top-10 finish Saturday afternoon at Auto Club Speedway, after battling back from the rear of the field to bring home an eighth-place-finish. The Nationwide Series competitor took the green flag from the 12th position and quickly moved inside the top-10 where he became a fixture for most of the event. On lap 95, the field slowed for caution so Phil Gould (crew chief) and the No. 2 crew gambled and took fuel only setting up Scott to restart from the lead. As competitors took four tires, Scott hung tough as he fell to the 18th spot. The caution flew once again on lap 111 allowing Scott to hit pit road for four fresh tires and fuel. Once the field took the green to restart, Scott set sail back towards the front and brought home an eighth-place finish. The Whitetail Club driver now holds the most consecutive top-10 finishes in all three touring NASCAR series at seven.

Start – 12 Finish – 8 Laps Led – 3 Points - 3

BRIAN SCOTT QUOTE:“We had a good car and tires were crucial throughout the race. We made a gamble on pit road and it didn’t go our way, but luckily we got a caution and were able to come back down for tires. I feel like we’re clicking and continue to get better each week. We’ll take the top-10 and move on to Texas (Motor Speedway) in a couple weeks.”

Austin Dillon Earns a Top-Five Finish In the No. 3 AdvoCare Chevrolet
at Auto Club Speedway

Austin Dillon drove Richard Childress Racing's No. 3 AdvoCare Chevrolet to a fifth-place finish in the NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Auto Club Speedway on Saturday afternoon and is now fifth in the driver championship point standings. Dillon started the 150-lap race from the 11th position and moved his way into the eighth spot within the first five laps of the race. A series of routine pit stops helped correct a loose-handling condition on exit of the corners during the early portion of the race, and Dillon continued to post quick lap times. He was scored in the fourth position on lap 42 and remained a fixture in the top five for the remainder of the race. Dillon was scored in the third position with just 50 laps remaining, but ultimately finished fifth as his tire grip fell off during a long green-flag run in the closing laps of the race.

Start - 11 Finish - 5 Laps Led - 0 Points - 5

AUSTIN DILLON QUOTE:
"It was a great effort by the entire No. 3 AdvoCare Chevrolet team today. I am so proud of the team and the way that we were able to work together to get a top-five finish."

Making his NASCAR Nationwide Series debut with Richard Childress Racing, Dakoda Armstrong garnered an impressive top-15 finish Saturday afternoon at Auto Club Speedway. After qualifying 13th earlier in the day, the 21-year-old driver maintained a top-20 running position for the first portion of the 150-lap event while battling a tight-handling condition on his No. 33 WinField Chevrolet Camaro. After coming down pit road multiple times for routine service and adjustments, Armstrong radioed to crew chief Ernie Cope the car had transitioned from a tight to loose-handling, but tightened back up as the run progressed. Armstrong was a mainstay in the top 15 for a majority of the afternoon while the No. 33 WinField pit crew reeled off impressive pit stops, gaining positions on pit road during every visit. As the last caution flag of the race was displayed on lap 111, Cope made the last-minute decision to take fuel only and not change tires placing Armstrong in the ninth position for the ensuing restart. The RCR driver was shuffled back through the field on a wild restart, which featured four and five-wide battles across the track, but the young Nationwide Series competitor showcased patience and persistence by picking off five competitors over the final 20 laps to bring home a 15th-place finish. With their solid finish, the No. 33 Chevrolet team now sits eighth in the Nationwide Series owner championship point standings.

Start - 13 Finish - 15 Laps Led - 0 Owner Points - 8

DAKODA ARMSTRONG QUOTE:
"I can't thank everyone at Richard Childress Racing enough for this opportunity. We definitely had a top-10 car the entire afternoon, but I kept having trouble on the restarts and had to dig myself out of a hole all day. The entire No. 33 WinField Chevrolet team was great, especially on pit road and I'm looking forward to driving this car again at Charlotte Motor Speedway in May."